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New Zealand
5th November - 4th December 2005
Hauraki Gulf Pelagic Cruise: Part 1
The Hauraki Gulf is fast becoming recognised as a premier location for viewing pelagic seabirds. Prior to 2003 few birders ventured out into its waters, but the re-discovery of the New Zealand Storm-petrel (previously only known from 3 specimens collected 150 years ago) changed that and it is now a quite popular destination for keen birders interested in seeing the large variety of seabirds that breed on the numerous offshore islands.
On 8th November, I joined a full day boat trip led by Karen Baird of Pterodroma Pelagics. There was a short delay in leaving Sandspit, to allow our skipper to fill the fuel tanks for extra ballast in the rough seas, but it gave me the opportunity to photograph a rather bedraggled Little Shag and a fly-by Pacific Reef Heron was the only one I saw the whole time I was in New Zealand.
Little Shag (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)
Once we were underway our first port of call was Kawau Island to pick up another passenger...and photograph another Little Shag. This time an intermediate-phased bird.
Little Shag (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)
Once out of the lea of the island the sea got a bit rough and it was only a matter of minutes before we encountered our first large flock of seabirds. These first few flocks, close to shore, were comprised mainly of Fluttering and Buller's Shearwaters. The violent rocking of the boat made photography a bit of a challenge but some of the photos came out OK...
Buller's Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)
Buller's Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)
Buller's Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)
Further out, the commonest species encountered on our 'chumming' stops was Flesh-footed Shearwater...
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
It was not unusual to have 50-100 birds in close proximity to the boat while Brett (our skipper) was throwing chopped fish into the water, and there were frequent violent squabbles over the choisest morsels...
Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)
Other species encountered in smaller numbers included...
Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii)
Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii)
Black Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni) with a much smaller Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii)
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)
White-faced Storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina)
| Trounson Forest Park |  |
New Zealand map |  |
Hauraki Gulf (pt.2) |
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They may not be used or copied in any form without prior written permission.
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